Illusions
by CarelesslyCamouflaged
Summary: Special Agent Nancy Drew is no stranger to the world of intelligence - deception, intrigue, playing for high stakes and flirting with death. But with the addition of a familiar face from her past, this case just got a lot more complicated.
1. Chapter 1

Special Agent Nancy 'Iris' Drew sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing an evening gown, _which by the label would probably have cost the CIA quite a bit of money_, she thought wryly. It was conservatively cut, showing just a hint of her cleavage and with a slit that came only up to just above her knees. But it clung lovingly to her body, emphasizing the curve of her breasts, her slim toned waist, the slender rounded hips and the length of her legs. It was simple and elegant, yet breathtakingly sensual, the turquoise color bringing out the sparkle in her bright blue eyes. Her red-gold hair was piled on top of her head in an intricate knot, the single curl escaping to lie on her shoulder looking tantalizingly seductive. A pair of simple diamond drop earrings adorned her ears with the matching necklace around her throat. She was dressed with class, yet dressed for seduction.

She fingered the necklace and sighed again. It had been a gift from her dad on her previous birthday. It had also been the last time she had seen him, six months back, in spite of her father's repeated urgings to come home when she had the time. She hadn't had the time, she had told herself, even as she knew that hadn't been the entire reason. Even if she hated to admit it to herself, she knew that part of the reason was because of Ned and the fact that he was getting married again in a few weeks time.

She wasn't upset about him getting married; it was more than 2 years since their divorce, and if she was honest with herself, it had been over long before that. As she fell into the familiar pattern of thought, she realized that she still hadn't forgiven herself entirely for accepting his proposal in the first place. _A telling sign indeed when one accepts an engagement ring signifying one of the most important moments of one's life with the same amount of pleasure one accepts a birthday gift from a friend,_ she thought with a touch of guilt and self-recrimination. _And even more telling when you are considerably more excited about investigating a new mystery than planning your own wedding! _

But they had both clung on to the familiarity of each other for so long that both of them had forgotten the very different things they had wanted from life. Or they had chosen to forget, which was quite easy when they were living separate lives. In hindsight, Nancy couldn't believe they had ignored the main bone of contention between them so completely.

Ned had always been a home-and-hearth kind of guy, with a steady job, a loving wife, kids; whereas Nancy had always known that once she graduated with a degree in criminal psychology, she would pursue her passion for detective work. They had married right after she got out of college and in the few months before her marriage she had been content working in her dad's office, helping him with cases. Then right after their honeymoon, the cocoon she had wrapped around herself unraveled when they had come back to find a letter for Nancy from the CIA.

The result was the first of their many fights, which had ended in Ned conceding with a bad grace, and Nancy joining the CIA. Six months later, they were barely talking to each other, and one and half years after that they were divorced. It had actually been a relief when it was over, for the both of them. Ned, because he would be free from the worrying and the distance and the secrets that were an integral part of her job and Nancy, because she could now work without the guilt and the feeling of being held back.

Nancy shook her head, exasperated with herself for bringing up memories best left buried and forgotten. For the most part, she had reconciled herself with her decisions and consequences of that period of her life and moved on. The residual feelings of guilt and regret were perfectly natural and while she mourned the loss of the comfort and friendship associated with having Ned in her life, she never regretted her decision to separate from him.

No, it was not Ned she was upset about. From what she had heard, Tamara was very nice and perfect for him. She was genuinely glad he had found someone steady, someone with the same goals and interests in life, someone who would love him as he deserved to be loved. She truly was happy for him. It was just herself she wasn't that happy for. For all the satisfaction and sense of validation her job gave her, it was hard not to think of her rather dismal personal life when everyone around her was happily married or engaged to be married. George was a proud mother and adored by her husband Rick, whom she had met at the sports academy where she worked as a fitness instructor. Bess was engaged to a Broadway director, and was getting married in a few months. All her college friends were settled and content with their significant other.

And here she was, twenty-six years old, already divorced and alone. And it had never been brought home to her more clearly, than when she had walked into her apartment a week ago, getting back after a tough and not entirely successful mission in Bogota. She had seen at the top of her mail, the wedding invitation from Ned; her answering machine had backed up with messages but she could still remember the one from Bess, her voice high and excited as she informed Nancy of her engagement while simultaneously apologizing for doing it over the answering machine. Then there had been the mail from her college organizing an alumni meet, inviting her along with her 'guest'. And Nancy had looked around her Spartan apartment, at the stark impersonal décor, into the empty refrigerator and freezer containing a few frozen meals, and had felt an inexplicable wave of depression.

It wasn't the marriage part she envied; after all, hers had been a perfect disaster, but the companionship of another person. She loved her job, lived for the adrenaline surges and the danger and the vindication it gave her to see justice meted out, but it was often a lonely job. It meant that the chances of having long-term relationships were close to nil. Men outside the agency were too intimidated by her confidence and independence, and with those that weren't, the confidentiality implicit in her job put a serious crimp on personal conversation beyond the first date. Without honesty serious relationships were out of the question and considering that she didn't care for the other kind, she hadn't been on a date with a regular person in more than six months.

She tried dating within the agency, but she learned quickly that men inside the agency belonged to two categories. They were either married or male chauvinists who treated her with far less respect than she knew she deserved. And after a couple of failed dates and the resultant awkwardness between the other agents at her office, she realized that there was a good reason business was rarely mixed with pleasure, especially in a workplace dominated by men with large yet fragile egos. She hadn't found a single man who could give her what she wanted; a mind that respected and challenged hers and a heart that understood and accepted her passion. She yearned for a man who accepted her as an equal in all respects, and with whom she could share her every facet without reserve because she knew he loved her for being herself, not despite it.

_Frank._ The name slid into her mind without conscious intent and she started abruptly from her musings. She stared into the mirror and saw instead a handsome, intelligent face with deep, intense brown eyes. _I must be feeling particularly maudlin tonight if I'm thinking of him now, when I haven't thought about him in years,_ she mused. She had last seen him nearly eight years ago, and hadn't heard from him in five, ever since his letter containing his best wishes for her marriage.

They had lost touch over the years in college, initially because of Ned's jealousy, and later because their own lives had intruded. With their accidental meetings during cases drastically reduced, their communication dwindled from weekly conversations to the occasional email on birthdays. His letter of congratulations on her engagement was proof of that; polite, almost formal, as if they were mere acquaintances instead of two people who had once been very close friends with the same interests and matching mindsets.

Very close friends who had done their utmost to ignore the powerful attraction between them. She had been conscious of a slight pang when she read his congratulations, but by then, their lives were too far apart. She was getting married and settling in Chicago; he had finished his degree in electronics and was apparently working for a software firm in California. With a last twinge of regret, she had put his letter away and closed that chapter of her life from her mind.

_Until now._ She wondered why she had suddenly thought about him, and with the ease of long practice, she ignored the whisperings of her mind that once he had matched all the characteristics of her mythical perfect man. She shook her head impatiently at her fanciful thoughts. She didn't even know if he was married or not, though she found it unlikely that someone like him would remain unclaimed for long. When she had last heard from Joe he wasn't; but then, she hadn't heard from Joe either in years, though the less intense camaraderie between them had made it easier to keep in touch. But they had lost contact all the same after a while, so she had no idea what either brother was doing. She gave a wistful sigh as she remembered those golden times when life had seemed so much simpler, and when she had still been naïve enough to think that she could have it all.

A sharp knock at her door shook her out of her woolgathering. With a deep breath, she straightened and glared defiantly at the mirror. Now was not the time to ponder on what-ifs and if-onlys. She couldn't afford to waste time wallowing in the past or feeling sorry for herself. She had a job to do. When it was over she would start thinking seriously about her life and the implications of thinking about Frank Hardy again but for now she needed to block her personal life from her thoughts. With a firm decisive nod and a last look in the mirror to check if everything was in place, she swept out of the room.

Author's Note:

I do have a definite plot line in my head and a few chapters out already, so chances of my completing this story are pretty high (especially since I know how much it bothers me when I come across an incomplete story that I really want to finish!). I aim to get out one chapter a week, but if there are unexpected delays, then bear with me. And if I do decide to discontinue the story, then I will be sure to let you know and not leave you hanging in suspense. Enjoy and do review if you have the time!


	2. Chapter 2

Nancy walked around the ballroom, smiling and talking, drinking champagne, but all the time observing the people around her. She was at the annual ball thrown by the notorious businessman, Luigi Giovanni, at his lavish Florida home. It had been a bit of a stretch even for the CIA to smuggle her and her team into the party. Apart from being a billionaire with questionable business connections, he also had some very heavy political connections. Security had been painfully tight, and even her impressively solid persona of Nancy Mallard, rich heiress and party girl extraordinaire, had had trouble getting an invite.

"Ah, Miss Mallard, I hope you are having a pleasant time?" asked a familiar voice from behind her. This time her smile was real, as she turned around and glanced at Adam Carmichael, alias Adam 'Macaw' Wilson. He was boyishly good looking, with sandy curls and mischievous green eyes. His deceptively angelic face hid a mind that was razor sharp and his airy, flirty ways hid a heart that was always warm and friendly. He had joined less than a year ago, and was one of the few agents she liked as a friend. After a couple of tries to get her out on a date with him, he had settled into the comfortable comradeship they shared.

"Why not?" She replied with a look of mock surprise. "Expensive champagne, such illustrious company, such refined people who are completely above crass overtures, what's not to like?" she continued with an ironic twist to her lips.

"People hitting on you already, huh?" he responded with a sly smile. "I can see why that would be hard to believe," he mocked, sweeping an appreciative gaze over her frame.

She laughed. "Well, you don't look half bad yourself," she said with a teasing smile as she took in his tuxedo, sitting well on his six-foot-three frame. The formal dress didn't do much to hide the breadth of his shoulder or the length of his muscular legs. She knew, however, how much he hated wearing such clothes, and couldn't resist teasing him about it. "So suave and debonair, I'm surprised to see that no arm candy has latched on to you."

His smile instantly vanished to be replaced by a petulant scowl. "I feel like a ridiculous over-dressed Christmas turkey," he grumbled. "And don't say anything about arm candy, you don't know the effort it took to dislodge the last one," he remarked with a shudder.

"At least you are a guest at this bloody party, not a bloody waiter whom people think it's ok to spill champagne on," said a low voice from nearby. Nancy looked at the champagne waiter passing by and almost laughed at the disgruntled expression on Daniel 'Raven' Richardson's face and the yellow stain on his vest. A married father of three, he'd felt uncomfortable posing as a guest and flirting, so he'd gotten stuck as a part of the serving staff. He stopped near them on the pretext of giving glasses of champagne, and smirked at Adam, "I can understand the comparison to a succulent bird though. Your proposed companion has been eyeing you all night as if you were a delicious morsel, and she's looking for you now." With that, he walked away with a jaunty flourish, leaving Adam scowling more heavily than ever and Nancy trying to stifle her chuckles.

"See you later," he said, mindful of the fact that they oughtn't to spend more than five minutes talking to each other. He walked away, sighing as he caught sight of his target, Giovanni's niece, a rather plump girl who was dressed in a gown two sizes too small for her. Nancy gave a neutral nod and walked away as well, looking for her target, Giovanni himself.

One of Giovanni's many suspected questionable connections was a shipping company that transported cargo both by air and sea. There had been a number of raids on ships which had uncovered drugs and weapons among the shipments, but the shipments were too small to be of any serious worth. The DEA suspected that the main runs were performed by planes, but had been unable to uncover the schedule and the exact location of the runs. They also strongly suspected Giovanni's hand in the business, but had been unable to pin a connection between him and the company.

Until, that is, a DEA agent who had been investigating near Giovanni's offices had mysteriously disappeared, only to turn up dead a few days later. A rising amount of revolutionary activity in Mexico and Latin America had resulted in the CIA being brought into the picture as well. Nancy and a team of agents had been sent to look into the matter and find conclusive proof. It was a fairly standard reconnaissance mission and she was hoping to be done by tonight and on a plane home tomorrow.

It was just as Nancy was turning around to look for Giovanni that she caught sight of a figure in a doorway across the room, leaning against it in a deceptively relaxed pose. The face was turned away from her, but there was a strange familiarity about the profile that had her heart pounding. A group of people passed before her line of sight and when they moved away, he was gone. _That profile, I haven't seen it in so long, but I could have sworn it was…_

"Looking for someone, angel?" She heard an oily voice behind her, blowing away her thoughts as she swirled around to find Giovanni himself behind her, smiling at her. "I noticed that you had come alone, however, so I'm sure I won't be stepping on any toes if I ask you to dance. I don't know your name, though I'm sure you wouldn't mind it if I called you angel," he smirked.

"Nancy Mallard." She replied with a simper. "And I would love to dance with you, Mr. Giovanni."

Luigi Giovanni, Nancy decided five minutes later, was a rather repulsive egomaniac. He was a couple of inches shorter than her five-feet-seven and probably weighed a hundred pounds more. He seemed to have an infallible view of his own attractiveness however, and continually kept leering at her and feeling her up. _Money will make anyone attractive I suppose_, Nancy thought sourly, as she kept up a vacuous smile and empty headed chatter, and responded with drunken giggles to his advances.

When the dance ended, she leaned heavily against him, pretending to feel dizzy with too much drink and the heat. As he led her out of the ballroom and towards the terrace around it, Nancy tittered, "Ooh, you have such pretty gardens Mr. Giovanni! I heard that you have very pretty flowers in your conservatory as well. Can I see them, in private, with you?" she ended with a coy whisper.

"Of course angel, though none of my flowers are as pretty as you. And please call me Luigi," he replied, running his fingers over her bottom. Nancy gritted her teeth at the touch and the excruciatingly lame pickup line, but her ploy succeeded and he led her away from the ballroom and walked along the corridor towards the more private sections of the house.

Just as they reached the conservatory however, a waiter came up and whispered something in Giovanni's ears. As he turned to leave, Nancy caught his cool grey eyes behind Giovanni's back as he imperceptibly nodded. Dominic 'Scarecrow' Shepherd was a part of the organizing team for the party, so he would have had a chance to scout out the place and locate Giovanni's private rooms and the number of guards. She blinked once to say she understood, and then focused on what Giovanni was saying.

"A minor trifle that I have to take care of, angel, so shall we go back to the party?" Giovanni asked.

"Oh Luigi, you promised to show me the pretty flowers." Nancy pouted. "In private," she whispered seductively.

Giovanni hesitated, but the obvious charms of his fair companion won over his prudence. "In that case angel, why don't you sit on this bench here, while I go sort this out? I will be right back," he replied.

"Sure, Luigi," she smiled, keeping her eyes peeled on him until he disappeared from sight. Giving him fifteen seconds to go away and after checking that the coast was clear, she pulled out a tiny microphone that was strapped to her thigh and put it in her ear.

"Phish, come in. Do you read me?" she whispered as slipped out of the conservatory, and walked silently along the corridor towards the side stairs.

"Loud and clear, Iris. I can see you too!" Cody 'Phish' Dalton replied, from his position in the communications van located less than a hundred meters away on the road from Nancy's position. He was looking at Nancy on one of the screens in the van, the images coming from the now overridden cameras in the house and grounds.

_Her team had done their research well, _Nancy thought as she came up on to the second floor. If she had met someone she would have pretended that Giovanni had sent her to his bedroom, but with Cody giving her information about the whereabouts of the people in the corridors, she met no one. She cautiously headed down the corridor to Giovanni's private quarters and stopped before the first door. It was locked, and it took less than a minute to pick it.

_Jackpot_, she thought silently, as she looked around Giovanni's study. Her job was made all the easier when she saw that there were no filing cabinets, just the computer on his desk. She rapidly walked to it and pulled out a tiny ear piece and what looked like a memory device from where she had strapped it to her thigh.

"Phish, I'm in his office now," she whispered as she plugged in the memory device, which contained a veritable treasure of hacking software, into the computer. "I have connected the memory stick to the computer. I'm going to look around a little to see if I can find anything else. Are you getting the data?" she asked.

"Connecting…bypassing his password…man, his computer security really does suck! Yup, I'm in and we're downloading!" Cody responded enthusiastically.

"Great. Can you see Giovanni or his thugs?" she asked.

"Yes, he's in the west wing near the ballroom talking to his head thug, Carlos. There are none of them near your location. I'll give a heads up when Giovanni heads back to the conservatory." Cody replied.

"Thanks," Nancy said, already getting down to work. She opened the drawers in Giovanni's desk, picking the ones which were locked, and methodically looked through his files. There didn't seem to be anything of interest, though she noticed that he seemed to have an inordinate number of Playboy magazines. Sighing with frustration, she replaced everything as it had been and stood up.

"Data's almost copied, Iris," Cody said. "Did you find anything else of interest?"

"No, I didn't…wait a minute…" Nancy's voice trailed off as she noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under the computer. She pulled it out and read the note which said _101557 – 102557 – A.A - Dep – 03 - 12 - 0430._

"You really should get out of there soon. What is it?" Code asked anxiously.

"It is a set of numbers followed by the word 'A.A Dep' and then another set of numbers. I'll write it down just in…" she stopped suddenly, tensing. She'd heard a noise, like a stealthy footstep. It didn't sound like it had come from the door, but she had been rather absorbed, so she wasn't sure. She stood absolutely still, straining to hear something over the pounding of her heart, but she heard nothing.

"Iris, are you there? Are you ok?" came Cody's concerned voice.

"Is the coast still clear, Phish?" she whispered.

"Yes, the corridors are clear, but I think Giovanni seems to be done with his business. What's wrong?" Cody asked.

"I thought I heard something, but now I'm not so sure." Nancy replied.

"You should get out of there, Na-Iris," came Cody's slightly panicked voice. "You've been there long enough and the files are done copying. Giovanni seems to be heading back to the conservatory too."

"Don't worry, I'm out of here. I'll just unplug the drive and switch off his computer." Hastily, Nancy cleaned up, and returning everything to its original place, she exited the room.

Giovanni and Carlos turned as the man entered the room.

"What?" Giovanni snapped impatiently.

"There is a CIA agent in your office. Or rather, there was. She has probably finished downloading all the data from your computer now" he replied quietly.

Giovanni felt a flash of fear. "How did you find this out? Why did you do nothing to stop her?" he demanded angrily. Carlos cracked his knuckles threateningly.

"I was in the next room. She was speaking, probably into a hidden microphone. She also would have had some backup within the house itself. She could have raised the alarm much faster than I could have taken care of her," the man answered with exaggerated patience even in the face of Giovanni's rage.

"There wasn't much data in that computer anyway. Even if they figure out the finances, it doesn't count as proof." Giovanni said nervously, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead.

"I don't think that's all she found. She was talking about a piece of paper with numbers on it. From what I heard, I assumed that it contained our departure information as well," the man replied, looking at Giovanni with a raised eyebrow conveying his derision at writing down sensitive information with such easy access.

Giovanni went absolutely white. "_Por dios, _if they figure it out…but I have to leave tonight! I cannot change my plans and I cannot cancel this shipment. It has other things besides the usual contraband. And everything is in place. It would be impossible to change the location or the schedule." Giovanni sat down heavily, his shaking knees unable to hold him up. "Did you see who this agent is?" He asked suddenly, looking up.

The man hesitated. "I did not see her taking the information. But I heard her voice…and it belonged to the same woman I had seen earlier in the ballroom." He turned to Giovanni. "You danced with her, the woman in blue."

Giovanni got up in a rage. "Nancy Mallard? Why that two-timing slut! And I left her all alone in the conservatory!" He spent a minute sputtering in his rage before he calmed down enough to be struck by a thought. "Wait, you haven't spoken with her, so how did you know it was she from the sound of her voice?" he asked suspiciously.

"I've…encountered her before, unfortunately," he said with an unpleasant curl of his lips. "She has the cunning of a fox. I was lucky," he said brusquely.

Carlos put his hand on his boss' shoulder. "I'll go take care of her, boss."

Before Carlos could move however, the man spoke. "I don't think it is a good idea, for the same reasons I couldn't take care of her earlier."

"Then what do you expect me to do?" Giovanni burst out, panicked.

The man rolled his eyes in exasperation at his boss's obvious incompetence. "There is a good chance that they might not figure it out. After all, they don't have much time. We should go ahead with our original schedule."

Giovanni and Carlos looked at him as if he were mad.

He smiled then, a wicked glint lighting his eyes. "I said we should keep with the schedule, not with the plan."

Author's Note :

A big thank you to all my reviewers! On the topic of updates, I might be slower than I had originally promised, but I still have every intention of completing the story. So thank you, in advance, for your patience! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Nancy Drew wondered for the thousandth time how she could have ever thought of working for an intelligence agency as glamorous. There was nothing glamorous in lying on your stomach feeling hundreds of twigs poking your body. There was nothing glamorous either in being still for hours in a mosquito infested swamp. _At least it's summer and the ground under me is dry,_ she thought disgustedly.

She had been lying there for nearly two hours now. After she had gone back to the conservatory, Giovanni had arrived a few minutes later. He was frowning and looked preoccupied, but it had vanished when he had seen her. She was feeling unequal to coping with his attentions, and had pretended to feel extremely nauseous, so Giovanni had had Carlos escort her to a cab with a look of disgust. Before she had left Giovanni however, thinking her too drunk to understand, had muttered to Carlos, "We leave in a few hours. Finish your work quickly."

Carlos had walked her to her car, almost carrying her at times, and he had not kept his hands to himself. Nancy remembered the way his breath had smelt and the way he had squeezed her breasts and bottom, with a shudder. She found Giovanni repulsive, but he was positively attractive compared to Carlos. As Nancy had looked at his cruel, beady black eyes and thick slobbery lips when he helped her into the car, she'd felt her skin crawl.

Daniel had stayed behind to maintain surveillance of the house. When the rest of them had returned from the ball, they had gathered in the living room of Nancy's suite and started looking through the data from Giovanni's computer. Most of them seemed to be records of finances of Giovanni's various operations, and they couldn't find anything out of place, even with Cody's genius computer brain working feverishly alongside them. At close to midnight however, Cody had found a discrepancy, cleverly disguised though it was. He had been looking through the shipping records when he had noticed regularly repeating occurrences of shipments of products like spices, sugar and machinery that seemed to have nothing to do with regular exports from his warehouses in his homeland, Mexico.

"Is he into black market as well?" Dominic had asked dispiritedly. "Where is he shipping it off to?"

"Well, that's the funny part. He's just sending it just across the border, over here," Cody replied, confused. Then his eyes widened and he looked at Nancy. "To remote airfields not on the usual commercial routes."

With a surge of excitement, she had looked over Cody's shoulder at the most recent set of entries, and then looked again, unbelieving. She scrambled to her bedroom and returned with a scrap of paper.

"What is it, Nan?" Adam asked, curious about her excitement.

Nancy didn't reply, merely smoothing the paper and reading the numbers off the paper and the entries on the computer. There was no doubting it; they matched.

_101557 …. 102557….._

As Cody and Dominic started working anew, with this new information, Nancy and Adam tried to decipher the rest of the scrap of paper.

"The last number looks like a time, so maybe the others are similarly related as well. It could be a date." Nancy suggested.

"Brilliant, Drew!" Adam exclaimed. "That's exactly what it is. A date and time…and the word could be a location!" With that he turned to his computer again.

Dominic spoke up. "And check this out. The discrepancies occur only for perishable commodities like spices, or sometimes sugar and salt, or for non-perishable items like machinery."

They all looked at each other and came to the same conclusions. Giovanni was using food items to smuggle drugs and the machinery to smuggle weapons. It was a clever plan, with the drugs passing through customs and measures like sniffer dogs unnoticed because of the pungent masking smell of the spices; the guns passing through metal detectors and other checks the same way.

"Well," Cody spoke up, "So the initial set of numbers in the note are serial numbers of the cargo containing the contraband, the rest of the information could possibly be date, time and location from where the cargo is being shipped. By the date and time, I'm guessing the next shipment is about to go through in the next four hours. So we know when. About where…?" His voice trailed off.

"I think I may have found it!" Adam said triumphantly, looking up from his computer. "There is an airfield called Armado about 30 miles south of the city!"

"I think Giovanni is planning on leaving tonight too, maybe with the contraband." Nancy said suddenly, remembering Giovanni's words. She told the rest of them about what she had heard.

Everything after they had called in their information had been a blur of activity. It was no longer a simple reconnaissance mission and things fell into place rather quickly. While their evidence was strong, with Giovanni's lawyers, he still had the chance of going scot free. Catching him red-handed, however, made it a different issue altogether. A team had been put together and dispatched to the airfield. Daniel had reported that two cars had swept out the gates of Giovanni's home, with Giovanni in one of them.

And so, here she was, two hours later trying to divide her attention between her stiff shoulders and cramped legs when she heard footsteps nearby. She looked up as Adam materialized next to her, smiling in sympathy as she sat up wincing.

"You look like you could use some gun-toting action, about now," he said with a chuckle.

Nancy shook her head ruefully. "Nearly ten years of stakeouts and I still don't seem to have mastered waiting them out patiently."

Adam looked momentarily confused. "Ten years? Oh, that's right; you were a hotshot detective even before you joined the CIA. With the number of cases you have solved, it seems a most unfair advantage over the rest of us," he teased.

"I've always had loads of help. I couldn't have solved most of them without my best friends George and Bess, or…" she trailed off, frowning suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked.

"Nothing…just something I remembered seeing during Giovanni's ball. Or something I thought I saw." Nancy said.

Adam looked curious. "What did you see?"

"On some of those cases when I was a teenager, I used to work with this pair of brothers, the Hardys."

"Hardy? As in, the private investigator, Fenton Hardy's sons?" Adam asked, with eyebrows raised.

"You know of them?" Nancy asked, astonished. "Oh wait, you are from New York…and they are pretty famous. And very good at what they do!" she smiled fondly.

"Yeah, they are. But what does that have to do with what you saw during the ball?" Adam asked.

"That's the strange thing. I thought I saw Frank Hardy at the ball. But before I could get a closer look, he had vanished. And then Giovanni claimed my attention and it completely flew out of my mind until now" said Nancy musingly. _Almost as if my thoughts earlier in the evening had conjured him up…_Just then she heard a voice over her headset.

"Iris, this is Raven. Target is approaching the airfield. ETA in five minutes," came the voice of Daniel.

"Guess I'd better get back to my position." Adam said, leaving quietly through the trees. Nancy nodded to him.

"Roger that, Raven," she acknowledged. "Are all points in position?"

"Yes, and raring to go," replied Dominic, covering the hangar with another three agents. "So are we," replied Adam, who had returned to his position by the gate, with four agents.

In a few moments she saw two large cars sweep through the gate and come to a stop near the offices and hangar of the airfield. There was an airplane standing at silently at the head of the runway, which she had earlier observed being loaded with cargo. She could hear static crackling through the ear piece as her team stirred, getting geared up for action. She had to make sure that no one jumped the gun though.

"Iris to all points, make no movement until target is in sight. Macaw, can you make out whether the target is in one of the cars?" Adam replied, "Unable to identify…hold on a sec! He's just getting down from the second car. Iris, target identified. Time to move in?" Nancy replied, "Affirmative. All points move into position. Do not shoot to kill, but let no one escape."

"Let's go, guys" she said to the three agents with her. As she hoisted herself off the ground and took off towards the plane, chaos erupted in the airfield. She could hear shots being exchanged, though none of them made it her way. Her team was doing a good job of covering her back. Adam and Dominic had cut off the men in the cars from heading to the plane while Daniel was covering their escape back down the road. Her job was to prevent the plane from being used as an escape route and seize the cargo. She saw the members of Giovanni's guard scattering with some of her agents in pursuit. A small group huddled around Giovanni near one of the cars, shielding him from the bullets as they exchanged fire with her team.

Even as Nancy was running towards the plane, she was struck by something wrong with the picture. Suddenly she realized what it was. Giovanni had made no attempt to get near the plane, even before her team exploded out of the trees and converged on the cars. And that was because the cars were parked too far away from the plane. Almost as if he'd had no intention of getting to the plane, as if he'd wanted to draw her agents towards him away from the plane…

Too late, she realized her mistake. Even as she was yelling to her agents to cover the plane, that it was a decoy, a third car burst out of the trees this time heading directly towards the plane. She threw herself on the ground along with the agents with her as bullets sprayed from the swerving car. She saw the car screech to a stop in front of the plane and the quiet hum of the engines picked in volume. She looked around and saw that the three agents with her were unmoving while the rest of the agents were too far to stop the plane, though some were rushing back and firing at it now. A few of the men from the new car broke away and returned fire to cover the real Giovanni and two of his men, as they scrambled into the plane. She furiously castigated herself for making such a rookie mistake and leading her team into an ambush.

Knowing that there was no other choice even as her sensible side was screaming at her for rushing in without backup, she pushed herself to her feet and ran towards the plane, her position allowing her to slip past the guards from behind. The plane was already moving when she vaulted through the door, surprising the man who was in the process of closing it. Before he could recover, she slammed her gun into his temple and he collapsed with a groan. Giovanni and his other man, whom she recognized as Carlos, whirled around, Carlos beginning to line his gun against her, but she already had her gun trained on Giovanni.

"Drop it, Carlos," she warned. Carlos only glared at her, but didn't drop his gun. She turned to Giovanni. "Oh, he could shoot me, I guess, but before I die, I will mostly have enough time to get off a shot of my own. Are you willing to risk your life on that chance? I'm a very, very good shot," she taunted. She saw a flash of fear pass over Giovanni's face, but it was gone immediately, replaced by a chilling smile. She had only a second to process it, as her mind registered that someone else had vaulted through the open door of the plane. Before she could turn around, she saw the sleeve of a brown leather jacket and felt the heavy butt of a gun crash into her head and she crumpled on the floor, fading into blackness.

Author's note :

Well, a faster update this time, but I'm not too happy with this chapter. Or the next one either. But the rest of my story is coming together nicely, and unless I am attacked by a sudden bout of laziness I will update fairly regularly! And a big thank you to all my reviewers! You truly do inspire me to do better. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Nancy woke up with a groan, her head pounding and her stomach roiling with nausea. She tried to raise her hand to feel her throbbing head, but found herself unable to move. Blinking to clear the daze from her mind, she realized that she was trussed up like a chicken. Further, she noticed that she was gagged as well. The horrifying events at the airfield came rushing back. As she remembered the pitched battle and the images of the unmoving agents by her side, she closed her eyes again in pain and frustration.

_How in the world had they known what to expect? Was it a slipup on our part, or had someone sold us out? _She wondered, anger beginning to overtake the other emotions. They lost good agents for nothing. The whole operation had been a complete failure. They had walked right into a clever setup, and not only had they not captured Giovanni but she had gotten captured as well. _And heading to God knows where_, she thought, recognizing the low hum of airplane engines and vibrations under the floor she was resting on. She hoped that Adam, Daniel and the rest had gotten out unscathed.

"Well, well, look who's finally awake," came a greasy voice, one that she recognized and was beginning to loathe. Gritting her teeth, she opened her eyes and looked right into Giovanni's pudgy face. He looked maniacally cheerful and was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, as he looked her over from head to toe. "Though you don't look quite as delectable as you did last evening, my dear Miss Mallard," he cackled, rubbing his palms in glee.

She made no comment, not that she could through the gag, but the contempt and loathing in her eyes must have made an impression, because he lost the smile, which was instead replaced by an ugly look. "Or should I call you Miss Drew, instead?" he asked, with a dangerous glint that morphed into a triumphant smile when she couldn't stop the slight widening of her eyes. "A pity you turned out to be a government agent, or we could have had so much fun together. But where we are going, government agents don't come to a very nice end." His humour restored by that sally, he turned to the man who just entered the cabin from the cockpit. "When are we expected to reach, Francis?"

"We will be landing shortly, in 15 minutes," came the reply. At the sound of the voice though, Nancy's heart started to pound. It was strangely familiar, though deeper and rougher than she seemed to remember. She turned her head sharply, and immediately regretted it as shards of pain lanced through her skull. When the spots cleared and she looked again, the man had disappeared and it was only Carlos and Giovanni in the cabin. _It can't be_, she thought dazedly._ I must be imagining things, because there is no way in hell it could be..._ And while she never made the mistake of ignoring her instincts the idea seemed too farfetched and unbelievable for her to fathom, _that he of all people_...

Presently, the increased roar of the engines brought her out of her troubled thoughts before she felt the bump that signified that they had landed. As the door of the plane opened and she was pushed roughly outside, she caught a brief glimpse of clouds, tall mountain ranges and lush forests before she was blindfolded. She had no idea where she was, but she felt it safe to assume that she was no longer in Florida. The buzzing sound of insects and raucous calls of birds, the humid tropical air, the faint sound of rushing water and absolute lack of the noises of civilization brought about the thought that maybe she wasn't in the US itself. _Oh, this is so not good_, she groaned silently, as she stumbled her way through a rock-strewn path.

After nearly half an hour of walking and numerous falls later, she heard the sound of voices and bustling activity growing closer. From what she could hear, they seemed to have made it to some sort of clearing and she could feel gravel under her feet. There were sounds of men and machinery all around her, and orders being shouted in Spanish. _Are we actually at his supposed hideout in Mexico?_ She wondered silently.

_They were at the base of his operations,_ she realized with a thrill. Her mind was busy turning gears trying to figure out where they were exactly and how to get word out when she felt a sharp jab in her back and nearly fell after tripping on some stairs. She clambered up the steps through a set of double doors. _Well Drew, better plan on getting out of here first, _she thought ruefully.

After what seemed to be a maze of corridors, she finally stumbled into a small room of some kind. Another sharp jab into her back and she fell sprawling on the floor. While she was still catching her breath from the fall, she felt the blindfold being removed. _Room in obviously too kind a description_, she realized, as she took in the bare walls, the single cot in the corner covered by a stained, threadbare blanket and the cracked commode in the corner which looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. She turned back to look at her captors and again caught the beady, cruel eyes of Carlos.

Suppressing a shudder, she turned towards Giovanni, who looked preoccupied and distracted. When he felt her eyes on him though, the oily smirk made a comeback and he leered at her, "Well, Miss Drew, how do you like your new quarters? I hope they are to your liking, because you will be here for quite a while. Of course, the quality of your stay will depend on you co-operation, so let's all be nice, shall we?" Turning to his henchmen he said, "Carlos, come untie Miss Drew, we can't have her complaining that we aren't hospitable now, can we?" With that remark and chuckling at his own wit, he turned and walked out the door of the cell.

She kept absolutely still when Carlos was untying her, but couldn't stop a shiver of disgust when his hands brushed against her ass in the process. Another squeeze later and she knew he was deliberately copping a feel. Raising her head to glare at him, she felt bile rise in her throat when she realized that his usually expressionless eyes were now filled with lust. He ripped out the gag in one painful swipe and before she could more than let out a cry of pain, she felt his foot crashing into her stomach. Winded by the suddenness of the attack and gasping in agony, she could do nothing when he pulled her up by the hair and smashed his lips onto hers. However, the smell of his breath and the repulsion of his touch went a long way towards clearing up the pain.

Before he could do more and before she could tense her muscles to kick out at him they heard Giovanni's voice calling for him. He raised his head looking disappointed. Bending down, he whispered in her ear, "Until next time, Miss Drew," and walked out the door. She dimly heard the clanging of the cell door and the turn of the lock before she allowed the increased pounding of her head and the sharp throbbing in her stomach to lead her into unconsciousness.

Author's Note :

Sorry for the late update, again! I've been pretty busy with work, traveling, flu... You name it! To those of you patiently waiting however, hope you enjoyed the new chapter! In response to one of my reviewers, yes, Frank will play a major role in this story and will soon make an appearance. Thanks for the lovely reviews! Cheers! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Nancy was gazing aimlessly at the ceiling, following patterns in the cracks and the textures in the stone. There was nothing else to do really, and she had exhausted all possible constructive thoughts in the week she had been here. She had woken up the day after her incarceration, to a reduced headache and a renewed determination to plan out an escape. She had examined the small cell minutely, looking for avenues of escape.

Half an hour later, she came to the conclusion that there was no possible means of escape, not even through the tiny casement window near the ceiling. Pulling herself up to the window, she realized that not only was it tiny, it was also barred. Looking out, she found herself on level with the ground outside, and the limited view reinforced her conclusion about the location of her prison. They were among mountains of some kind, in a tropical clime, most likely towards the southern regions of Mexico.

Of the house itself, she could tell little, except that it was old, built with quarried stone if the structure of the dungeons was any indication. It was also eerily quiet, with almost no noise filtering down to her cell. With her scraps of a meal and a glass of water pushed through the door twice a day she had almost no contact with any human being. While this had initially translated as relief at the absence of Giovanni and most especially Carlos, she had begun to feel increasingly hopeless as days passed and her ideas for escape slowly dwindled, and she saw neither hide nor hair of any person.

Which was why she was rudely jerked from her contemplation when she heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching her door. She sat up as it was flung open, and in walked Giovanni looking less suave and rather more flustered than when she had last seen him. She noticed Carlos and two other of his gorilla-like henchmen standing at the door. As she caught Carlos's eye, he licked his lips lasciviously before she turned away. Determined to ignore him she turned her eye on Giovanni as he paced in front of her, muttering imprecations. With a sense of satisfaction, she noted that his hair was mussed and he didn't look like he had gotten much sleep in the last few days. When he felt her eye on him, he attempted to rein in his emotions and pull himself together. He finally succeeded and turned towards her with a nasty gleam in his eye. "So, Miss Drew, I think it is time we had a chat."

When they left the cell an hour later, Nancy was feeling much worse for the wear. Their 'chat' had consisted of an unpleasant interrogation by Giovanni on what information she was in the possession of and how she came about it. Her refusal to answer had resulted in a number of tantrums thrown by Giovanni followed by muttered threats and a physical assault that left her with aching jaws and ribs and tenderness around her right eye.

She distracted herself by recalling the petulant looks and stamping of the feet as her silence and refusal drove Giovanni to distraction. At one point, when he had grabbed her by the shoulders and shaken her, she remembered spitting on his face. _I guess I paid for that,_ she thought ruefully as another spasm of pain through her stomach caused her to wince. _But the look on his face certainly was priceless!_ She also vaguely remembered a number of people moving in and out of her cell after Giovanni let his henchmen take over from there. _I'm lucky Carlos had to leave before it started_, she thought with a shudder. _I am sure he would have come up with something more creative and less palatable if he were given free reign!_

As her thoughts began to clear she also realized the implications of Giovanni's state. Were things not going well for him? Had her team come across some new information? It renewed her determination to somehow make contact with them, but the lack of proper food and the recent beating were beginning to take their toll on her. It was as she was drifting off into an uneasy doze that a glint of gold on the floor near her cell caught her eye. _Well, well, look what the gorilla brought in_, she thought with a slowly growing smile as she saw the edge of Giovanni's gold-plated ball point pen.

It was extremely dark outside when Nancy managed to get the door unlocked and slowly swung it open, thanking her stars that while the house was old, at least the doors didn't have deadbolts. She found herself in a narrow, poorly-lit passageway and she could see a number of similar doors to hers all along it. _How many prisoners is he in the habit of keeping?_ She wondered as she walked along the passageway to the door at the end of it. Fortunately, it was neither locked nor bolted, so she slipped through into what seemed to be the main quarters of the house. She had the oddest feeling that someone was following her but all her frequent checks and detours got her nothing. She shrugged it off, but resolved to be careful all the same. _No way am I going back to that dungeon,_ she thought vehemently.

A number of passages and a couple of dead ends later, she realized that she was mistaken in the assumption that it was a 'house'. _It's a bloody mansion_, she thought resentfully as she hit yet another dead end. _I'm fortunate that no one came across me wandering around like a ghost._ The thought was barely finished, when she heard a commotion at the end of the hallway and running footsteps heading in her direction. Backtracking and finding an unlocked door, she quickly slipped inside before the footsteps rounded the corner. As they went past her door towards the dungeons, she thought she heard Giovanni's tinny voice screaming through a walkie-talkie to "find that blasted bitch, and find her now!"

_Well, it was probably too much to hope that they didn't notice I was gone_, she thought with a sigh. It was going to be much harder coming up with a viable plan of escape with everyone frantically trying to hunt her down. Suddenly all the hairs on her neck stood up on end. She was standing facing the door, but her sixth sense told her that she wasn't alone. Her mind was racing as she contemplated diving back through the door into the hallway, but as she stood there bringing her breathing back under control, she realized the fact that whoever it was hadn't yet tackled her to the floor. Hoping to play that to her advantage, she turned slowly, all senses on alert and muscles tensed in readiness to jump into action any minute.

She was in a study of some kind, with sweeping bookshelves and an enormous French window at the opposite end, soft Persian rugs on the floor and a huge mahogany desk. The sweep of the entire room took only a second because her eyes were immediately drawn to the man standing in front of the desk less than six feet from her. With his back to the moonlight coming from the window she could only make out his silhouette, but she immediately knew that this man was different from the gorillas usually employed by Giovanni.

His lean frame looked deceptively relaxed leaning against one of the bookshelves, but she could sense a restrained danger within him that told her that he was capable of bursting into explosive action in less than a second. For the first time since her capture she felt a frisson of fear and the sense that she was now in real trouble.

Though she could not make out his face, she somehow knew that his eyes were roving down her frame, assessing her. _If you are looking to be impressed, then I will have to disappoint you buddy_, she thought with a fatalistic sense of humor. After her week in the dungeons she didn't even want to think how she looked. _Or smelt_, she thought before subduing her wayward sense of humour and mentally slapping herself to get her roving thoughts under control.

She caught the movement of him straightening up and just like that, she was alert and ready to counter any move he might make. _Or however ready I can be with bruised ribs and stomach_, she thought warily while trying to hide a wince. Except, she wasn't quite ready for the soft chuckle that rumbled out his chest. Shocked not only by that soft, strangely seductive sound but also by the unexpected familiarity of it, she stood perfectly still. She was still questioning her sanity when he spoke.

"Not quite how we pictured our next meeting, eh, Drew?"

Her eyes wide in incredulous disbelief, she could only stare at him as he stepped closer, revealing the handsome angular features of Frank Hardy.

Author's Note :

Ta da! And there he is. Thank you to all my reviewers!

**Cassie**: If you take a look at my profile at the bunch of characters listed as my favorites, you will notice that there isn't a single female one. Turns out I'm not much of a 'girlfic' fan myself. I've read almost all the Hardy Boys case files and only a handful of the Nancy Drew files, a natural consequence of being a girl and finding Frank Hardy hot! :) So I would never demean him by pushing him into the role of a sidekick (I have been accused of doing that to Nancy though!) but my muse demanded that the story start off this way. In terms of this being a 'girlfic,' I'm pretty sure you wont be disappointed; in terms of entertainment value, I can only hope you enjoy it for that as well!


	6. Chapter 6

For a long moment, all Nancy could do was stare at Frank Hardy, slack jawed and seemingly unable to connect her brain with her eyes. The small part of her that was still capable of rational thought told her that she shouldn't be surprised though, because hadn't unexpected encounters with the Hardy brothers in the most improbable places always been the norm with most of her cases? It's _been really long, the other part of her argued,_ and she was strongly tempted to slap herself not only to bring her wayward brain under control but also to make sure that it wasn't a dream. As she continued to look at him with dumbfounded shock, the part of her brain that was still thinking catalogued all the differences in him from the last time she had seen him.

He had grown into his tall frame and was no longer as lanky or gangly as he had been in his teens. He was still lean but much more muscular with broad shoulders covered in a brown leather jacket, lean waist, and long powerful thighs visible even through his form fitting black slacks. But what really struck her was the aggressive confidence she could sense emanating from him as he stood tall and assured. For all his sharp intelligence, good looks and athleticism, Frank had always been a shy, diffident guy who was usually oblivious and always astonished when a girl flirted with him, and who preferred to be out of the spotlight as much as his brother Joe revelled in it.

There was almost no trace of that teenager in this virtual stranger who was regarding her with a slightly cocked head, raised eyebrow and an amused half-smirk curling his firm lips. And she could feel the response within her body as a long-forgotten spark lit to life deep inside her and a frisson of excitement raced up her spine. _He looks really, really good,_ she though dizzily, among all the other chaotic thoughts tumbling through her brain.

As he took a half step towards her reaching for her, her eyes zeroed in on his leather encased arms and suddenly all her thoughts froze. They started back again, this time at double the speed but she finally seemed to be thinking clearly. All the instances over the last week, during the ball when she felt that she had seen him, during the plane ride when she felt she had heard him, and _the flash of a leather covered arm just as it had connected with her head_ came rushing back and she sprung back with an oath. She cursed herself for not trusting in her instincts and getting distracted when four years on the job and nearly six years of experience before that should have taught her better.

She whipped out a letter opener she had picked up earlier and looked at him with new eyes now, of one sizing up an adversary. With his obviously improved physical fitness coupled with what she knew of his formidable fighting style, she knew that any altercation between them would go badly for her in the best of circumstances; and especially badly given her current weakened state. She fought against hoping desperately that he had a reasonable explanation and her desire to throw herself into his arms. Despite the familiarity oozing from him, there were enough differences that warranted she be on her guard. _After all, it wasn't impossible to change faces now, was it?_

There was also a small devil inside her that reminded her that maybe this really was Frank and maybe all his previous actions over the week weren't really an act. She was conscious of a sharp ache at the thought that her oldest friend might be her enemy, and a small amount of bitterness at even suspecting him, but she brushed that aside impatiently and decided she'd mourn her lost innocence later. There was no place for naiveté in her job, not when being suspicious and wary had saved her life innumerable times.

He had stopped in surprise when she jumped back, but at her defensive posture, knife clenched in one fist and narrowed eyes he sighed, and guessing at the direction her thoughts had taken, he held his arms up in a pacific gesture and said, "It really is me, Nan." The teasing smile made a comeback and he continued, "And I am a little offended that you have either forgotten me so fast, or think it is so easy to impersonate me." His smile grew into a devilish grin. "If you are still unsure, then we can always perform a test of sorts; I wouldn't mind reliving some of our kisses; Mount Mirage, stuck in a snowbound cabin, when we thought we were going to die, Egypt, on the balcony under the moon and after we almost died...we can see if it jogs some memories...lights some fires...That would be hard to impersonate, don't you think?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Thoroughly disconcerted, not only by his uncharacteristic attitude but also by her own response to his shocking suggestion, Nancy fought against softening towards him. _It may really be Frank and he does seem to know things only the real Frank would know, but he still hasn't explained his presence here_.

"What are you doing here though?" she demanded. "And it was you who knocked me out wasn't it?" she continued accusingly. At the mention of that incident though, all the arrogance bled out of his frame and he gave her a wry grimace. "I knew that would come back to haunt me," Frank replied with a rueful smile. "I was undercover and not only did I have to maintain my cover, but also at that point I couldn't take the chance that you would give my cover away, however inadvertently. I am really sorry about it, Nancy." The endearingly sheepish smile, contrite look and warmth in his eyes were so reminiscent of the Frank she remembered that the rest of her doubts started melting away.

With a mischievous light in his eyes he continued, "Besides, if I really was working for Giovanni, don't you think I would have captured you and turned you over long before now considering that I was following you ever since you got out of the dungeon?" When she still looked wary, though undeniably more hopeful, he heaved a theatrical sigh and extracted a card from his belt buckle. When she glanced at it her eyes widened to nearly comic proportions, and while a small part of her brain was busy storing away the astonishing information on the card, most of it was ringing with only one thought. _It really is Frank, the Frank I remember!_.

The only warning Frank had was the dropping of the letter opener and the wide smile that finally crossed her face before she flung herself into his arms. She almost moaned at the utter comfort and reassurance she received from being in his arms and all the aches and pains and indeed, the years between them seemed to fall away as she revelled in his embrace. For his part, in spite of the dire situation they were in and the difficult days that Frank knew lay ahead of them he took a moment to simply absorb the joy of holding Nancy Drew in his arms again. He marvelled at the sense of wholeness and warmth she brought to him along with a powerful surge of attraction that seemed far more potent than before.

He had also noticed the changes in her as he had perused her form earlier. She was leaner and tougher but still enticingly feminine; her hair was shorter, her eyes were harder, sharper and more intense, but they still sparkled with the humor and intelligence that had so drawn him to her all those years ago. _Guess absence does make thy heart grow fonder,_ Frank thought humorously.

After a long few moments, when it seemed to Nancy that he was equally reluctant to relinquish his grasp on her, she slowly pulled away. As she looked into his endless brown eyes, she was again struck by the knowledge of just how much she had missed him. Suppressing her conscious thoughts about him seemed to have only strengthened her subconscious desires, because her whole being was singing from his mere presence. A fleeting thought that she was never again going to let him out of her life was carefully stored away before she focussed on him again.

"It has been too long," Nancy declared with an impish grin. "It was partly the reason I was so shocked to see you here. I had almost forgotten the regularity with which we tripped over each other whenever there were cases around to be solved. In fact, I'm half waiting for Joe to jump out of some corner with a signature lame joke and a smart ass comment!" Nancy laughed, looking around Frank as if expecting him to pull Joe out of nowhere.

"Oh, we will definitely be seeing him sometime soon, so you can tease each other to death and it will be just like old times," Frank replied with a chuckle. He grew serious soon though, and Nancy was reminded with a jolt of the fact that she had escaped from the dungeon barely an hour ago, that she was in Giovanni's headquarters and needed to get a message to her team outside, that she was in the middle of a case and _it was no time to be bloody waxing nostalgically and mooning like a love-struck fool! _She couldn't quite hide her twitch as her aches and pains came rushing back and from the softly apologetic look in Frank's eyes he had obviously caught it. She shook her head to stem his concern and instead gazed around the room. Her impression that it was a study was reinforced now that her eyes had gotten used to the dim light, though she also noticed a rucksack on the desk. She looked questioningly at Frank.

"What is going on Frank? It's obvious that you are also investigating Giovanni, so what have you found? And I need to get a message to my team to let them know where I am," Nancy said, a frown between her eyebrows as she tried to puzzle it out. Something he had said earlier caught her attention. "And what did you mean by 'was' undercover?"

Just then a huge explosion rocked the house. Nancy was startled and looked at Frank with wide eyes, but Frank was already walking away from her and rounding the desk. He unplugged a device that looked very familiar from the computer in the study and typed some commands into it. He then pulled open the desk drawer and took out a wicked looking gun which he handed to Nancy. He was speaking as he worked.

"There is no need to get agents to this place, Nan, I already sent a message out earlier and they should be here shortly. In fact I have just uploaded a satellite feed of the area around this place. I also suspect that we may both be investigating Giovanni for different reasons, but I think explanations can wait until we get away. I am afraid we can't wait to be rescued and there is already a full-scale search going on for you." Frank closed his bag and walked towards her with another gun in his hand.

Already anticipating her next question he said, "My cover was blown earlier this evening and we need to leave, quietly, because I've discovered something huge and we still need to fly under the radar a bit." Nancy nodded her acceptance of the explanation for now and examined the gun he had handed to her, arming and cocking it with practised efficiency. Just then, another explosion rocked the house. Nancy raised her eyebrow at him.

"Just a little distraction I planted to make things easier for us and keep Giovanni and his goons busy," Frank said with a mischievous smile. It widened to a wicked grin. "After all Drew, before you so discourteously escaped from the dungeon under your own steam I was all set to waltz into your cell on my white steed and spirit you away to safety before things went down, and I didn't much fancy wasting my time knocking people over their heads. No matter how much fun it is!"

He laughed as he dodged the blow aimed at _his _head and ducked out of the room still chuckling. Nancy glared at him for a few seconds before rolling her eyes, and smiling fondly, she followed him out.

Author's Note :

So, did my Frank live up to the expectations? :) And another big thank you to my wonderful, wonderful reviewers! On a less positive note, I will probably not be able to update very regularly for a few weeks because of a big product release coming up at work. :( I will try to though, because your positive comments make it completely worth it!


	7. Chapter 7

The minute they stepped out, both Frank and Nancy were the epitome of cool efficiency as they silently made their way through the mansion. Frank seemed to have memorised the layout of the building and Nancy was quite content following his lead as he ducked down corridors and through hidden staircases to avoid the general mayhem around them. Nancy had worn a cap to hide her long blond hair and a sports jacket to hide her gender.

No one paid any attention to the two of them as they saw people running around frantically both to get away from, and get to the bottom of the explosions occurring periodically throughout the house When Nancy caught Frank's eye and raised her brow at the sheer number of 'distractions', Frank merely winked and stated "You know that explosives were always a specialty of mine!"

They passed through what Nancy recognized as the cell block she was kept in earlier and headed further down into the cellars. As Frank reached the end of the corridor, he slowed down completely before coming to a stop before a partially opened door. He cautiously peered through the crack before he backed away. At the question in Nancy's eyes "There is a passage to the river from the next room so we have to go through it. We do have company though two, at the most three armed goons, but we can't afford to attract attention with gunshots. Want to get in a little roughhousing, get some of your own back, Drew?" He murmured with a grin. His reply was a look that clearly said _what are we waiting for?_

The three men inside the room snapped to attention with their guns cocked at the knock on the door, before it swung open. Their eyes widened as they saw the escaped prisoner, looking barely conscious and much worse for the wear, held captive by a dark haired man with a gun to her head. They lowered their weapons as the man came further into the room.

"What are you waiting for? Giovanni wants her taken to the dock immediately!" Saying which, he thrust her at the nearest man who, when he reached out to catch her found himself with a fist in his face and a knee in his groin as the half dead woman made a surprising recovery. Before the other men could recover from their shock, the dark haired man was bringing around the butt of his gun on the temple of one of the men. As he crashed to the ground unconscious, his other hand was already swinging around to grab the gun the other man was in the process of raising. A blow to the solar plexus and a jab to the back of his neck and that was the second man taken care of too. Frank turned around at that moment to see that Nancy had knocked the third man out.

He raised a brow at the sly smile on her face. "Nothing," she replied with a twinkle. "What, a girl can't look and admire when a guy takes out two other guys with so few moves? Impressive work there, Hardy, very sexy!" She nearly crowed with delight when she saw a faint red tinge appear on his cheeks. _So,_ _Mr. Hotshot Agent still knew how to blush after all! _However, he recovered quickly.

"Right back at you, Drew! And we still do make a great team after all these years. By the way, nice acting there Drew, if I didn't know any better I would have thought you were as fragile as you look," Frank said with a smirk. Nancy narrowed her eyes at him. _I think I preferred it when any compliment or innuendo left him speechless for a while,_ she thought with a rueful grin. _I'm running out of snappy comebacks to this new Frank!_ After dumping the three unconscious men in corner they swept out through the doorway into the passage beyond.

Soon the stone of the house gave way to hewn rock and Nancy realized that they were in a tunnel beneath the house and heading further down. After nearly fifteen minutes of walking they heard the faint sound of flowing water and came out into a huge cavern. The main part of it was filled with machinery, mainly of the lifting kind, and a large docking station which currently held a small ship. At the far end, near the gated entrance to the cave from the river, was a smaller dock that held a bunch of small boats. The wooden doors of the entrance were currently half open, but it was still hidden from the outside by a curtain of hanging ivy. In spite of herself, Nancy had to take a moment to admire the clever setup. There was a hive of activity near the ship with a number of men working frantically on loading it. _No doubt to get the incriminating evidence away_, Nancy thought with narrowed eyes.

She turned to Frank. "We have to stop them Frank! We finally have evidence to put Giovanni away, we cannot let this opportunity go to waste." When Frank hesitated she continued, "I don't know from what angle you were investigating Giovanni, but mine was to nab him for arms and drug trafficking. After all this effort, and especially now that we finally have something to pin on him, I can't afford to just let this go, Frank. Even if Giovanni himself gets away we will have enough evidence left behind to at least shut down all his operations and lock him up when we do nab him."

Frank considered the scene with a frown. The team of agents he had contacted would be arriving very soon if they had not already reached. Once his cover had been compromised, he'd barely had time to sneak into the communications room and send off a message bearing the co-ordinates of Giovanni's hideout, but he'd also discovered something with shocking implications which was driving his need to get away unnoticed. However, he could also see the merit in Nancy's argument and he acknowledged that there was a chance that Giovanni could get away with it before the agents arrived.

After another quick look between the smaller dock and the main dock, Frank nodded decisively. They had to go through the main part of the cavern to get to the dock on the other side and would need a distraction anyway to make an unseen getaway. He could afford to make it a bigger distraction than he had planned. As he started rummaging in his pack, he looked at Nancy and said, "Alright, we will slow them down until the others get here. I already took care of most the aerial escape routes, so chances are that Giovanni will come down here to get away by boat. Plus we need to get to the smaller dock, so we might as well give them something else to worry about than noticing two people making away with one of their boats. I just hope that I don't bring the whole cave on our heads!"

Frank was already pulling out his hand as he finished speaking and showed Nancy around the tiny octagonal shaped explosives in his hand which Nancy recognised as highly sophisticated charges ideal for localized high intensity explosions. She ducked behind a crate and watched as Frank casually inserted himself into the flow of people. She admired the way he simply melted into the crowd as if he belonged and the way no one seemed to give him a second look.

However, she was distracted by loud voices and footsteps coming from the tunnel to the cave and made her way further behind the crates as Giovanni burst out of the tunnel followed by some of his guards. Nancy recognized the one who was cradling a bloody nose and cursed as she realized that their handiwork had been discovered.

When Giovanni started having a heated discussion with a man who was presumably the captain of the ship Nancy looked around anxiously for Frank, who she had lost sight of in the melee. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the scuffle of a boot and a soft cough behind her. She whirled around and almost took off the person's heard before she recognized Frank's voice.

"Don't sneak up on me!" She hissed, annoyed and reluctantly impressed that he had managed to, in the first place. Frank merely shrugged apologetically and started making his way around the back of the cavern towards the smaller dock. Nancy followed him, keeping a sharp eye on Giovanni and his thugs to make sure they weren't discovered. They were halfway there when the main dock was rocked by a series of short sharp explosions. At the same time a number of armed black clad figures streamed through the tunnel into the cavern, letting off a number of warning shots into the air. In the ensuing confusion and panic, no one noticed a small boat quietly slipping off its moorings and out of the cavern.

Author's Note :

And, I'm back! My schedule has cleared up somewhat, so I should hopefully be able to post more regularly. My muse is still being a bit uncooperative, though, so we'll just have to see. I hope this chapter was worth the long long wait, and I want to give my sincerest thanks to everyone who is still sticking with me on this. And last, but not the least, a very Happy New year to all of you and hope you have a great 2012!


	8. Chapter 8

Frank and Nancy were both quiet as the boat made its way down the river and away from the chaotic scene they had left behind. She hoped that the strike team had nabbed all of them, most especially Giovanni and Carlos. Even after all her experience as a detective and exposure to the ugly side of humanity through her work as an agent, she still found it hard to suppress a shudder at the memory of Carlos and his beady, cruel, empty eyes. Now that the adrenalin surge had worn out she found the events of the day and most of the week catching up to her. With a weary sigh she collapsed gracelessly into one of the padded benches on the boat and looked up at Frank.

Frank glanced at her with a brief smile from his position at the wheel. "I have no doubt that you are hungry, thirsty, tired and most importantly curious, but we have a fair bit of distance to cover yet Nan, and I want to get reasonably far away from that place before we stop for the night. It's a new moon tonight I don't want to flounder about in the darkness and wreck the boat on sandbars or other debris." He eyed the darkening sky and said, "We still have about an hour of travel ahead of us. You must be hungry since I doubt you have eaten anything since breakfast, there is some food in the locker under your seat. Once we stop and set up camp we can compare notes and I'll catch you up on what's been going on."

Gratefully, Nancy took out some sandwiches from the hamper she found and started munching on them. They were a bit stale but her starving stomach offered no complaints. It was positively sumptuous compared to her fare over the last week. She handed one to Frank who ate as he continued steering. Feeling comfortably well-fed and watered, she relaxed, seemingly for the first time in months.

There was something about the hushed stillness of the forest broken only by calls of birds, the distinctive howls of the howler monkeys, and even the occasional coughing roar of the jaguar. _Only you, Drew would find it peaceful in the middle of a massive jungle teeming with dangerous animals and in the process of fleeing for your life_, she though with an ironic twist of her lips. _And your present company has no part in it, does he,_ a small corner of her brain supplied mockingly. She grimaced slightly at the thought before turning to look at Frank again. With no spectre of Ned in her head to glare disapprovingly at her, she finally opened her brain to the thoughts that she had been so carefully censoring and suppressing till now.

Due to the regularity with which she had stumbled across the Hardy brothers when on cases, she got to know them both very well. Her inclusion in the duo had barely disrupted the well oiled group dynamic already existing between the brothers and she got along famously with both of them, serving as a balance between Joe's impulsive, intuitive energy and Frank's calm application of logic and thoroughly methodical approach. But she had always shared a special connection with Frank.

For all his reserve, Frank had been as deeply passionate about detective work as her. They had always been kindred spirits of a sort and she could remember countless occasions where she had started a thought only to have him finish it. To Nancy it was worth all the teasing from Joe this resulted in, to be able to pick his formidable brain when faced with a particularly challenging twist in the case. Coupled with the quirky sense of humor, the integrity and the caring warmth that was such an essential part of him, Nancy knew she shouldn't have been taken by surprise when professional respect and easy friendship morphed into something more.

And it was infinitely harder to contain her feelings when she noticed a similar glint in his eyes on more than one occasion. For all their efforts and struggles to maintain a purely platonic relationship they had slipped up on more than one occasion, but the brief spark of joy in the involuntary kisses they had shared was usually eclipsed by crushing guilt. At the end of those kinds of cases, Nancy always said goodbye with a disturbing mixture of longing for more, and relief at getting away from temptation.

Of course, in hindsight she realized that she had never been able to entirely escape his presence and Ned had borne the brunt of the subconscious comparisons that inevitably came up. She had known that it was thoroughly unfair to Ned, who was the same sweet, caring, charming guy she had first fallen in love with, but Ned's grudging tolerance of her detective work didn't stand a chance against Frank's wholehearted acceptance of her abilities and love of sleuthing.

The breaking point had come after the intensely personal case in Egypt. After weeks of pretending to be a married couple and with the relieved euphoria at the end of the case, the kiss was inevitable. But unlike their other kisses, this one was different. With all the emotion invested behind it, they both had crossed an invisible line and Nancy could now admit that her resolve then, to stay with Ned was at an all time low. And she also understood, with a touch of self-deprecation, that for all her protestations of love for Ned, she had still felt the sting of rejection and betrayal when Frank took her words at their face value and didn't contact her for the rest of the summer. And when life had intruded in the form of college, she was all too eager to forget her weakness.

It was still lowering to realize that she had accepted Ned's proposal not out of genuine love like she had deluded herself into believing, but out of a mixture of wounded pride, stubbornness and remnants of the loyalty and affection they once shared. It was no wonder that it turned out to be a bit of a disaster. She was only glad that the history between them ensured not only an amicable separation but also that enough fondness remained that they were still friends.

Lost as she was in ruminations, she came to with a start when the sound of the engines changed and she felt the boat slowing down. The river had broadened considerably and they were approaching one of the banks now. Frank took a turn into a largish stream than joined the river and wound his way upstream for a distance before docking on a sandy bank and turning off the engine. She scrambled up to help him secure the boat but nearly stumbled and fell when her legs gave away, before Frank caught her. _Great and isn't this just the perfect time to play the damsel in distress,_ she thought sarcastically.

Frank gave her an exasperated look when he noticed her disgruntled snort. "Nan, honestly, give yourself a break! You spent the last week starved and beaten with no physical activity whatsoever and little if any sleep. Anyone else would have collapsed, mentally and physically, long ago. The universe will not implode if you shelve that stubborn, independent streak of yours and accept a little help once in a blue moon."

Gathering the remains of her dignity around her, she glared back at him and retorted, "Fine, Hardy, you can secure the boat all by yourself. But if you even think about carrying me or suggesting that I cannot walk on my own, I will let you know that I'm not exhausted enough to sock you one where it hurts the most!"

Frank gave a theatrical wince and with a look of mock-disappointment exclaimed, "What, you will deny me this opportunity to help a damsel in distress?" He quickly jumped out of the way of the kick she aimed at him and merely grinned at the thunderclouds gathering on her face. Huffing angrily and muttering under her breath about nice, quiet boys growing up into thoroughly exasperating, unpredictable men, Nancy held got off the boat and walked (or rather staggered) to the nearest tree and flopped down. As she watched him work, her mind drifted off into another train of thought.

She couldn't help but notice the differences in Frank from the last time she had seen him, and not just physically. She supposed that some of it was the inevitable part of growing up, but not all. She guessed that working for who he did must have been responsible for the rest of the transformation. The way he held himself and the hardness that surrounded him like a cloak was certainly a big give away. Nancy could completely relate to why he was the way he was.

While she was exposed to plenty of ugliness even in her teen years as an amateur detective, intelligence work was an entirely different game altogether. It was the kind of work that brought one in contact with the very worst human nature had to offer, in the most primal of situations where sometimes the only law was – survival of the fittest. She hadn't realized exactly how rose-colored her vision before the CIA was until she killed her first man in her first mission. She had had to harden herself in order to protect not only her life but also her sanity. Emotions were a messy distraction that usually got one killed. Developing a healthy dose of cynicism was practically part of the job requirements.

The costs of being a good agent however, included the strained relationships she now had with her family and friends. She knew Bess and George and even her father had a hard time relating to her now, and she no longer felt the same comfort she used to when she was home. It was difficult being home and with her childhood friends and not knowing what to talk about since there was an embargo on almost every topic relating to her life. She wondered if it was better for Frank, with an ex-cop for a father as well as a fellow agent for a brother, if his words about Joe were any indication.

When Frank caught her staring at him and responded with a wink, she contemplated on yet another of his changes. He had never been this suave and smooth before nor had he loaded his statements with quite so much innuendo. At times he was flippant, almost blasé with an apparent lack of concern, as evidenced by the rather destructive methods he used to get them out of the hideout, that was terribly disconcerting. He was also more calculating, made obvious by the fact that the Frank of eight years ago would not have stood by idly while she was getting tortured.

But there was no denying that as different and dangerous as this Frank seemed, when he looked at her with undisguised heat in his eyes she felt the same powerful, answering response deep within her. All his differences seemed to only heighten her awareness of him. Never had the attraction between them been this potent, this unfettered and _raw_. As he walked back to her with blankets and other odds and ends in his arms, she was filled with a mixture of dread and anticipation that had nothing to do with the case, and wondered just how she was going to survive the next few days.

Author's note :

This is more of a filler chapter really, so that it is clearer where they are coming from and hopefully a good explanation for why Frank (and even Nancy) is so different. In all their detective work, I don't think I've ever come across them directly responsible for taking another life, something I feel is unavoidable in their current line of work. It is inevitable I suppose, that something like that changes them, quite apart from changes due to growing up. I do hope I did justice to the evolution of their characters because both of them, and especially Frank, will be quite different compared to canon.

I should probably also point out that quite a bit of the story (likely, most of it) will be from Nancy's point of view, her thoughts and emotions because that comes the easiest to me. The frivolous part of me insists that it is because I can't exactly wax eloquent about Frank from his POV without making him totally narcissistic! I will make an effort though to give him an opportunity to air out his thoughts and feelings too.

Now I need an opinion from my wonderful reviewers - How much romance do you want in the story? My instincts and general style of writing will probably make me lean quite heavily to that side, but I don't want it to take away from the other equally important elements of this story, so I need your help to balance it out. Let me know what you think, and if I haven't said it enough I will again repeat how grateful I am to all my reviewers! :)

P.S - The reference to Egypt, in case anyone didn't know, is based on the supermystery _Secrets of the Nile_


	9. Chapter 9

Nancy squirmed around in her cocoon of blankets to get as comfortable as possible on the hard ground. She turned on her side to look at Frank who was leaning against the tree on the other side of the small fire. When she had asked Frank about the wisdom of building a fire he replied, "Even if a few people escaped from the chaos back at the hideout, I doubt they would waste their time looking for us tonight. If they are, we are far enough from the river and deep enough in the jungle that a small fire will be practically unnoticeable. So we don't really have to worry about human company tonight. What I am worried is about the other kind, and I don't fancy spending my night grappling with a jaguar who decided that we'd make tasty snacks!"

Now as she looked at his face by the flickering firelight she was struck anew by how handsome he had become. The shadows cast by the fire played a languorous dance across his face giving it a mysterious, brooding cast. His eyes were focussed on the flames, the small frown between his brows indicating that he was deep in thought. The blankets were loosely wrapped around his legs and he had taken off his jacket. Looking at his powerful arms encased in the thin sleeves of his shirt, she remembered how it felt when she had hugged him earlier. Suppressing another shiver of desire at the memory of being wrapped in those arms, she firmly slammed the door shut on that train of thought before her imagination conjured up something more than a simple embrace.

She cleared her throat to get his attention and when he looked at her she said, "You told me you were going to explain things once we were settled for the night. Well, explain away! You know how much I hate being in the dark and considering that I have been stumbling around blind since the beginning of the case I would very much like to be enlightened!"

Frank smiled at that and replied, "Well, what do you know so far?" "I know that Giovanni's drug and arms dealing connections are not the only things worth investigating if what you said was true. When we took on the case it was a simple investigation of his assets and finding evidence to support our claims. When we did find the evidence and had to launch a sting operation on short notice, we ended up being stung ourselves!" At this point she looked at him accusingly. She continued with narrowed eyes, "I think someone tipped him off that we were investigating him otherwise there is no way that he would have caught on to us so quickly. So not only did my mission derail, but I led my team right into an ambush!"

Frank leaned forward with an apologetic sigh and looked earnestly into her eyes, "I am really sorry for what happened at the airfield, Nan but believe me I had no choice." He leaned back again and turned his gaze on the fire once more. "Let me start from the beginning.

"As you now know, I work for the Network along with Joe. About six months ago, after the election of the Mexican President there were murmurings of dissent and dissatisfaction on the underworld grapevine about his liberal policies. Also his stronger stance on border security and crackdown on drug, arms and human trafficking made him pretty unpopular with many of the Families and other drug lords. We weren't too concerned until we got pretty strong indication three months ago about a potential assassination plot. The current government is doing a lot for the many problems Uncle Sam usually has with Mexico so the powers that be are taking any threats against the new regime seriously. Our lead pointed to a possible connection with Giovanni so I went undercover and joined his security personnel while Joe worked on the outside as my contact. I eventually worked my way up to his personal security team. I was actually on security detail the night of the ball."

"I knew it!" Nancy exclaimed. "I saw you at the ball. I thought I was seeing things, especially since..." She trailed off with a slight flush at what she almost revealed, that she had been thinking of him just before the ball. She continued hastily, hoping he wouldn't comment on her little lapse, "I am never going to question my instincts again!"

Frank tilted his head to look at her, the amused smile on his lips indicating that he had noticed her lapse but was willing to let that go for now. His smile deepened and his gaze grew warmly caressing as he said, "Yes, I did see you at the ball. I certainly didn't expect to see you there that night, but it was impossible not to notice you wearing that ravishing, arousing gown." His voice dropped to a purr, "The embodiment of grace, elegance and sensuality in a crowd of gaudily over-dressed rich snobs of questionable legality...You certainly caught Giovanni's eye!" He finished with a teasing twinkle.

Nancy, who was growing increasingly flushed and uncomfortably warm under the weight of his gaze and the sound of his voice uttering such outrageously provocative compliments, pounced on his last statement with no small amount of relief. "And a more repugnant egomaniac I have yet to meet! I don't really know what it is about money that makes a short, sweaty, slimy, slobbery little man think he is a Casanova! Though I have to say, he is positively a heartthrob next to Carlos."

Frank sobered immediately at the mention of Carlos, "Yes, Carlos is a particularly disturbing piece of work. He takes an almost childish pleasure in pain and torture, and for all his brutality he has a sharp cunning, which makes for a particularly dangerous combination." He turned to her and said with quiet intensity, "Carlos had been originally tasked with breaking you today, but I manufactured a crisis that took away his attention. I would never have stood by if that cretin was the one to torture you. I would never have allowed him to lay a finger on you, my cover be damned."

Nancy was deeply touched by his admission. While her professional side disapproved of his jeopardizing his mission just to save her from some pain, her feminine side found the idea of Frank willingly risking his cover to save her from Carlos' attentions to be intoxicating. And for all her competence and bravery, she acknowledged that the thought of Carlos even near her filled her with a nearly paralyzing horror, and she was deeply thankful that Frank had been insightful enough to sense it and save her from that fate.

Impulsively, she reached out and took his hand. As he looked at her she gave him a grateful smile and squeezed his hand. He squeezed her hand back in response. No words were necessary for him to understand what she was thanking him for.

Frank cleared his throat and continued in a lighter vein, "Yes, as beautiful and stunning as you looked that night all I felt was dismay at the fact that you were most assuredly going to ruin all my plans." Nancy pinched his hand and interjected, "Hey!" Frank quickly snatched his hand back with a laugh and replied, "I was quite justified in thinking that Drew. You see, from what I had found out so far, I knew that there was a very important shipment going out that night. Not just drugs or arms. I knew that it was going out to his base in Mexico though we didn't know the exact location of the base. So I had to let that run go uninterrupted in order to be able to locate his hideout and find out more about what was in that shipment."

Nancy looked at him, frowning thoughtfully, "I thought I heard something like a footstep when I was in his study. But I was sure that my team and I had scouted out the house completely. The cameras were overridden as well, so I should have been warned about any other presence." Frank nodded, "When you were in his study downloading the data from his computer I was actually in a hidden passage between his study and the bedroom. Your team couldn't have known about that. I am guessing they had a few people on the serving staff as well?"

When Nancy replied in the affirmative Frank continued with a quirk of his lips, "They did an excellent job. The only reason I was in that passage at all was because I had recognized you and followed you once you left the ballroom. I had a hunch that the study was your ultimate goal so I got into the alcove before you could get there. I had to find out what you were doing if I was to ensure the success of my plans. I know you heard me then, and I also knew that you found the travel plans that idiot had carelessly written down; unlike Giovanni and Carlos I am familiar enough with your intelligence to know that you would figure it out even in such a limited time frame.

"On the other hand, I myself had found out something very disturbing just earlier that day and couldn't take the chance of Giovanni either cancelling the shipment or getting caught. So I told him about you being in his study, came up with the alternate plan and when you still came so close to ruining it, I'm afraid I had no choice but to clobber you over the head."

At this point he looked at her with another apologetic smile but Nancy was too intrigued to kick up a fuss about it. "What was it that you found?" Frank gave her a troubled look. "That there was indeed a plot to assassinate the new President but unlike our earlier suspicions it didn't have anything to do with Giovanni or the other Families."

When Frank fell silent she looked at him and found him marshaling his thoughts. After a couple of moments he turned towards her again. "I don't know if you have heard of it but 3 months ago there was a minor theft at one of the defense bases. It was the blueprint for a new explosive device the army has come up with. It is a variation on pressure triggered explosive devices or landmines as people generally know it, but it has been designed for a mostly defensive capacity. Since it was a pretty insignificant object to steal there wasn't a huge hue and cry over it though the investigation is still going on."

"And you found the blueprint with Giovanni? We have the assassination weapon?" Nancy asked curiously. "Not the blueprint itself but the components for the device," Frank replied. "If I wasn't already investigating Giovanni regarding the assassination plot I might not even have been able to identify it or make the connection."

"Did you neutralize the device?" Nancy asked. "No I didn't, for two reasons. Firstly, if they have the blueprint it is only a matter of time before they get the components and try to assemble it a second time. And the next time they try it we might not actually be in a position to stop them. But the most important and troubling reason was that I simply couldn't."

When Nancy gave him a puzzled look he clarified, "Almost as soon as we reached the hideout I was assigned to a bunch of trivial and unrelated jobs but the one thing they all had in common was that I was never on my own. There was always someone to watch me. Something must have tipped Giovanni off about me and the most I could do was walk around the house. I had no access to the airfield or the docks or the storage centers. I began to suspect that someone had blown my cover but there were only three people who knew about my being undercover; Joe, the director of the Network and the National Security Adviser."

Nancy's eyes widened at the implication. She asked softly, "You don't think...?" "I don't know what to think except that I know for sure that it wasn't Joe. I can't rule out any possibility though I think the most likely explanation is that it got leaked out somehow." He looked at her with concerned eyes. "It gets worse Nancy." Nancy simply waited for him to continue. _Worse? What could be worse? _ "Earlier today I somehow, through sheer dumb luck, intercepted a call. It proved definitely that Giovanni was not the mastermind behind this plot but only the courier. The origin of the plot was not the drug families at all, as we had initially suspected but from within our ranks." At Nancy's gasp he continued somberly, "Not only did the order come from someone high up in the intelligence community, but the assassin is a rogue agent himself. And based on what I found he is most likely an agent from the CIA."

Author's Note :

Hi there! Remember me? Long story short, I was kidnapped and sucked into the Matrix from where I have just escaped barely with my life! Well, I wish I could use that as an excuse, but the sad truth - I lost my inspiration enough that writing was much more difficult than it used to be, and I was busy enough that I didn't feel too guilty about putting it off. And then I got a review after 4 months which effectively guilted me into opening my story and then, surprise surprise, the creative juices started flowing again!

So a big sorry to those of you who still check for updates and while I don't think I can promise to not fall off the grid again, my original promise stands - if I do decide to discontinue I will definitely let you all know. To make up for it, here's a new chapter! Hope you enjoy it, and a big thank you to those who are still sticking with the story. On a side note, I have made a few changes and additions to the chapters I had already posted; nothing glaring and no major plot line deviation. Just a little sprucing up that if you do decide to start from the beginning to refresh your memory, the story might read more smoothly now. I certainly like it better!


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